Such a generic device of the aforementioned type is known from EP 0 212 077 A2, and also from EP 2 316 611 B1, for example.
According to the disclosure of EP 2 316 611 B1, such devices are intended to feed material rods, one after the other, to a machine tool, such as a lathe, for example.
In this machine tool, these material rods are then processed thereby manufacturing particular individual components from these material rods.
For this purpose, the material rods are stocked in a magazine, from which they are fed into a guide. This guide then ensures the correct alignment of the material rod with regard to its longitudinal axis relative to the machine tool. This requires an adjustment in a direction transversely and usually also vertically relative to the feeding direction of the material rod from the magazine into the guide. Exact alignment is very important here, since the material rods are often set in rapid rotation in the machine tool. If the axis of rotation is not exactly on the central longitudinal axis of the material rod, this leads to imbalance and as a result to considerable damage.
The term “feeding direction” accordingly refers to the direction in which the material rods pass from the magazine into the guide, the feeding direction usually being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the material rod. Furthermore, depending on the desired product, material rods of different diameters are used, for example. For a reliable alignment of the central longitudinal axis of the material rod relative to the machine tool, a guide is therefore provided in EP 0 212 077 A2, which due to a design as a drum with holders of different sizes is able to accommodate material rods of different circular cross-sections.
Furthermore, it is apparent from EP 2 316 611 B1 that devices are also known from the prior art which are able to receive material rods in a guide having a V-shaped cross-sectional profile and thus achieve at least an alignment along the feeding direction of the material rods, provided the latter have a circular cross-sectional profile. In the case of other cross-sectional geometries, asymmetric positions are possible in the V-shaped cutout of the guide, in particular tilted positions. However, it has been found when using such machines, that the prior art guides of such devices only partially allow an optimum alignment of material rods with any possible, especially non-circular cross-sectional shapes.
For example material rods of quadrangular or hexagonal cross-sectional shapes, which are frequently used in addition to the circular profiles, often present problems. For example, devices according to EP 0 212 077 A2 are not suitable to be adapted to such non-circular cross-sectional shapes. A correct alignment of the material rods with their central longitudinal axis relative to the machine tool is therefore difficult or even impossible.
EP 2 316 611 B1 discloses an embodiment in which a material rod with substantially any cross-sectional shape can come to rest between a pair of limiters arranged on a rotatable disc and is alignable along a central axis defined by a plurality of such pairs of limiters by rotational movement of a series of such discs each provided with such pairs of limiters and arranged along a line.
However, in particular for feeding asymmetric profile shapes for which the position of the axis of gravity or the axis of rotation must be aligned flexibly and freely with the central axis of the rotating spindle of the machine tool, the previously known solutions are not suitable or only with components individually adapted to the respective profile shape. In the implementation according to EP 2 316 611 B1, a synchronous rotational movement of the discs is moreover always necessary, since otherwise, if two limiters arranged on a rotatable disc would engage on two outer positions of the material rod, the material rod could become blocked within the guide and as a result the entire rotating mechanism could become blocked and/or the material rod might become misaligned.